Saturday, January 19, 2008

In the recently concluded and much disputed general election, the majority of Kenyas who voted chose either Mwai Kibaki or Raila Odinga as their preferred president. Who actually won the election is doubtful. It looked like Odinga, but could well have been Kibaki. If the Electoral Commission themselves admit they 'Do not know', how can anyone be sure?

What we can be sure of is that in the days since, both men have done plenty to show Kenyans and the World that neither deserve to be president of our beloved country. Kibaki's actions in accepting a dubious result and then being sworn in immediately after the election and Odinga's in the manner of his protests and refusal to even attempt to address this in an adult or legal manner have only lead to bloodshed, not to sorting out of a problem that should have been addressed in a sensible and straightforward manner. Like spoilt children in a sweetshop they have tried to grab everything for themselves without thought to what damage they do in the process. Unlike the losses of the sweetshop owner however, the losses in this case have been human lives.

A question for these 2 so called 'honorable' gentlemen: How many INNOCENT Kenyans have to die before you see sense? How many deaths can you justify on your path to State House? If the answer was even 1, you do not deserve to be president and yet the death toll stands at over 500. Even as more Kenyans die, you still have not met face to face.

This is stupidity - and I use the word purposefully knowing the much stronger connotations it has in Kenya than in the West. Neither of your communities can benefit from the bloodshed and chaos that this crisis brings to Kenya. Both need peace to prosper or even survive and your continued apathy toward human life is a disgrace. If you cannot at least bring peace to Kenya for the sake of the country, at least bring peace for the sake of your own peoples. If you don't there will soon be nothing left for you to fight over anyway.

I have not cried for a long time, but I cry now for a country I love and can see being ripped apart by the greed and betrayal of men who were elected so that they could serve the people. While the average Kenyan on the streets is facing a month where he or she will struggle to pay bills, feed their families or pay for their children to go to school because of the damage done to the economy through the instability, Kenyan MPs will still take home their wages from an annual salary of 800 million shillings. Until the mess is sorted out and peace restored so that Kenyans can live their lives without fear, you deserve not even 8 cents. For the sake of all Kenyans, stop this madness before it is too late.

If and when Kenya returns to stability, I will continue my thoughts on cricket. In the meanwhile, to all Kenyans everywhere: May you live in peace in this evil time. Whoever you are and whatever tribe you may come from remember that you are Kenyan and lived happily alonside your fellow Kenyans until the politicians stirred up this hatred for their own ends. Remember that peace. Cherish it and nurture it so our country can prosper once again.